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| Report of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan Vol. XIII, 1889 Lansing, Michigan W. S. George & Co., State Printers & Binders Page 117 - 118 BAY COUNTY |
| Joseph Eddy was born at Providence, R. I. ,
Nov. 15, 1807. At the age of eleven years he was apprenticed to learn
the trade of morocco dressing. He worked for the same man,
inclusive of his apprenticeship, twenty-five years. In 1826 he married
Susan Salsbury of Tiverotn, R. I. In 1836 he was induced to move to the State of New York, to Little Genesee, Allegany county, hoping to better his condition. His farm was very rough and hilly, and for eight years he and his family struggled along through great discouragements, until finally he made up his mind to leave his farm and move to Palmyra, Wayne county, N. Y., little dreaming that he was leaving a fortune behind him. Had he kept the farm twenty years longer he would have died a wealthy man, as some of the richest oil wells are still flowing on that farm. But if not a wealthy he was an honest man and he thought no labor too hard if only it were honest and gave him an opportunity to feed and clothe and educate his growing family, which had now increased to eight children. Twice death had come and left an empty chair - the first a little one of two years and later a youth of nineteen. Finding little chance of accumulating anything, Mr. Eddy began to think of coming west, where land was cheap and he might hope to lay up something for his old age. Therefore in 1855 he came to what was then known as Lower Saginaw. Pioneers of Bay County will easily believe that his first view of the town was anything but encouraging, but he had made up his mind to stay and no discouragements, no entraties could ever thereafter induce him to change, and the results justified his decision. Had he cared only to be a wealthy man, he had here abundant opportunity, but he would not run any risks for the sake of getting property, though the little he did get was sold at a great increase. As a man Mr. Eddy was remarkable for perfect honesty and integrity, firm as a rock where honesty and justice was concerned. He would have held his right hand in the flames until it consumed, before he would have used it to do a wrong to his fellow man or to oppress the widow or the fatherless. His life was clean and pure; his faults were all outside; he had nothing to conceal; he had great interest in politics; he was a republican and a strong partisan; he was born and reared in a time when not to be a partisan was to be a tory and a traitor, and both he and his good wife were always well informed on all the topics of the day, to which I think they owed their long hold on life. They never lost their interest in life, though since his dear wife died a year and a half ago, the old man has sat with his work all done, only waiting for the call that came so softly that no ear but his heard it, and he obeyed. Sitting in his chair as the sun went down the evening of May 5, 1888, the waiting spirit went out to meet those who had gone before, the loved wife, the dear children and the two little granddaughters so dear to his loving heart. With all his labors o'er, with clean hands and a pure heart, who could wish a better ending to an honorable life?
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